Chittoor court awards death to 5 in mayor couple's murder

Highlights

Chittoor: The 9th additional district court in Chittoor on Friday delivered its verdict in the 2015 double murder case of former Chittoor Mayor Katari...

Chittoor: The 9th additional district court in Chittoor on Friday delivered its verdict in the 2015 double murder case of former Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Katari Mohan, sentencing five accused to death. The court also ordered the convicts to pay a total compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the Katari family and Rs 20 lakh to the complainant, Satish Kumar Naidu.

In-charge judge N Srinivasa Rao found S Chandrasekhar alias Chintu (55), M Venkatesu (49), Kottevalla Jayaprakash Reddy (33), Toti Manjunath (37) and Venkata Chalapathi (61) guilty under Section 302 of the IPC and awarded capital punishment. The court further directed action against those who had given false testimony intended to mislead the investigation.

The incident took place on November 17, 2015, inside the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office. According to the prosecution, the attack was the result of a premeditated conspiracy.

Around 11.05 am, the accused gathered at Chandrasekhar’s office before proceeding to the municipal office. Chandrasekhar and Venkatesu entered the Mayor’s chamber disguised in black burqas, carrying a handbag and a bag filled with vegetables to conceal their weapons.

From the bag, Venkatesu took out three sickles and handed them to Jayaprakash, Manjunath, and Venkatachalapathi, while Chandrasekhar gave an air pistol to Venkatesu.

When Kishore, a relative of Mohan, questioned them, Chandrasekhar removed his burqa, pushed him aside, and rushed into the Mayor’s chamber. The prosecution stated that Chandrasekhar fired at Anuradha from close range, killing her instantly.

As others tried to intervene, Manjunath attacked Mohan from behind with a sickle, and Venkateshu fired at him using the air pistol. Mohan ran toward the council hall but was chased and hacked on the neck with sickles. He was taken to the Chittoor district hospital and later referred to CMC Vellore, where he succumbed to injuries later that night.

The case was registered as Cr No: 130/2015 at Chittoor I Town police station based on a complaint by Satish Kumar Naidu. Under the supervision of then SP Ghatamaneni Srinivas and then DSP M Lakshmi Naidu, the investigation team recorded statements, seized weapons, and arrested suspects up to A23. One accused, Kasaram Ramesh, was later discharged following a petition, while another, S Srinivasachari, died during trial.

The proceedings extended over several years due to procedural delays and evidentiary issues. After examining witnesses and material evidence, the court convicted the five main accused on October 24 while acquitting the rest.

The sentence was reserved and announced on Friday, with the court observing that the brutal and pre-planned nature of the killings warranted the death penalty.

Main accused Sriram Chandra Sekhar alias Chintu is the nephew of Katari Mohan.

Personal, financial and political disputes between Katari Mohan and his nephew led to the gruesome double murder.

Katari Hemalatha, chairperson of the Chittoor Urban Development Authority and daughter-in-law of the deceased couple, welcomed the verdict. “Justice has finally been delivered. This judgment brings some solace to our family, and the punishment truly reflects the gravity of the crime”, she said.

The convicted individuals were later taken back to prison under heavy police escort. Chittoor SP Tushar Dudi praised DSP Lakshmi Naidu, then Town Inspector Niranjan Kumar, current DSP T Sainath, Inspector Maheshwar, Special Public Prosecutor Sailaja, and others involved in the investigation and trial for their efforts in securing the convictions.

In view of the verdict, a three-tier security was provided at the Chittoor court complex. In view of the case’s sensitivity, the district police imposed Section 144 across the city on Friday.